


Seventh Air Clearings

by darkkwater



Series: First Kiss [7]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 16:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8630491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkkwater/pseuds/darkkwater
Summary: Don apologizes for doubting Ian.





	

**Seventh Air Clearings -**

Don flushed. He and Ian had never talked about when Ian had been suspected of being dirty and killing an informant. Don had let them put Ian into prison, though that had turned out to be exactly what Ian had wanted. When Ian had broken free inside the prison and gone in search of a hidden prisoner, Don's team had helped both track him and exonerate him. 

"Yeah," Don said. "I should have known better." 

Ian shrugged, though he wasn't fooling Don. "I was set up by experts." 

"Though, like you told Colby, what would you do with a half million, when your idea of luxury is an insulated sleeping bag?" 

Ian looked at him for a moment, then said, "He probably also told you that I took him hostage instead of you because I thought he'd understand, being a triple agent." 

"Yes…" 

"The truth is I didn't grab you because I was hurt like hell that you didn't believe me. I didn't know what I'd end up saying if we were trapped together." 

Don swallowed. "Ian…" 

"But then you didn't shoot me - _I_ would have shot me - but you didn't. Then you followed up on my crazy theory and figured everything out just in time." 

"Barely," Don said with a shudder, remembering how close it had come with not only the fugitive's life, but Ian and Colby's as well. 

"Barely enough." 

Don lowered his head, feeling ashamed. 

Ian said softly, "If you hadn't held off shooting me when you should have, I don't know whether I would ever have trusted you enough for…" He squeezed Don's knee. 

Looking back up, Don smiled crookedly. "If I'd killed you, doing _this_ would have been pretty hard." 

"True," Ian said, then leaned closer and let Don demonstrate just how sorry he was. 


End file.
